Swimming board or life preserver



March 19, 1929. F. WALCHER 1,706,090

SWIMMING BOARD OR LIFE PRESERVER Filed Aug. '29, 1927 0 r M v Patented Mar. 1 9, 1929.

UNITED STATES FR EDERICK WALGHER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SWIMMING BOARD OR LIFE PRESERVER.

Application filed August 29, 1927. Serial No. 216,111.

My invention relates to a swimming board or life preserver.

The object of the invention is to provide a swimming board or float to encircle the users neck or body and having below its neck opening a longitudinally suspended flexible support to be straddled by the user and support the body when extended in swimming position or in standing and other positions. Another object is to provide the upper side of the board or float, at the forward side of the opening, with a novel chin-sup porting means.

. These objects I accomplish by the construction shown in the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device showing the user in different positions,

Fig. 2 is a plan view,

Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal section,

Fig.4 is a plan of the chin-supporting mechanism,

' Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 4. and

Fig. 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

The board or float 1, is shown somewhat elliptical in contour though it maybe in circular or other form. The board 1 is provided with an opening 11, to receive the neck of the user and the opening is of such size and shape as to allow the shoulders and body free movement in the stroking act and also allow the body of the user to extend therethrough and assume upright, sitting and other postures.

The supporting means to hold the user in place comprises a flexible perineal strap 5, provided at its ends with snap hooks 77 and any suitable form of adjusting means such as a buckle 6. This strap 5 is provided with a soft yielding covering such as a tubular piece of sponge rubber 4 or flatable tubing. Thus chafing of the crotch is prevented. The board is provided on its lower face, in front and back of the opening 11, with eye bolts 8-8; the rear eye bolt 8, extending up through a longitudinal slot 10 in the board and provided with a set nut 9 for adjusting it to suit the user.

The strap or saddle-forming support 5 is secured in place by engaging its snap hooks 7 7 with the eye bolts 8-8. The forward wall of the opening 11 is curved inwardly and rearwardly from its opposite ends to the middle to provide a supporting projection for a chin rest and the upper side of this pro a piece of injection is cut away to form an inclined recess 17. A plate spring 12 is secured at its forward end to the upper side of the board or float and extends rearward over the recess 17 to permit it to flex downwardly. Formed in the plate spring 12 is a depressible spring catch 1% having on the upper side of its rear free end a catch button 15 adapted to enter an aperture 16 formed in the front end of a chin supporting plate 16 carryin a recessed chin support 13. The side edges or the plate 16 are bent inwardly to form guideways which receive the side edges of the plate spring 12 to permit of insertion and removal of the chin support upon depressing the button 15.

An A-shape guard 20 is mounted on the upper side of the board to divert waves from the face of the user when the body is extended longitudinally as in full lines Fig. 1.

It will be seen that when he swimmer is in the full line position his body will slide rearwardly along the strap or support 45, from which position he may rise to an upright position or move to the dotted position or any desired posture and be supported therein by the strap or support 4-4). Actual use of the device shows that all other supports are rendered unnecessary even in the roughest water.

Parties supplied with these appliances may engage in races and various aquatic games or sports with the utmost freedom and security.

The spring plate 12 allows a free movement of the chin under strain during violent wave 3 movement.

The board 1 may be of any suitable material, construction and shape and the term board or float is so used in the broad sense. So also with respect to the perineal strap '-15, which may be modified without departing from the spirit of my invention.

The board may also be used as a surf board by attaching its forward end to a propelled boat.

What I claim is:

1. A float provided with an opening to encircle the body of the user, means for supporting the body, and a spring supported chin rest on the upper side of the float at the forward side of the opening to form a downwardly yielding support for the chin.

2. A float provided with an opening for the body, a downwardly yielding spring on the upper side of the float in front of said opening and a chin rest mounted on the inner free end of the spring.

the body, a downwardly yielding spring plate on the upper side of the float in front of said opening, a spring catch carried by said spring and having a projection, a flanged plate sliding on the free inner end of said spring plate and having an aperture in its forward end receiving said projection, and a chin rest carried by the said flanged plate. 7

4.,A float having an opening for the body, a means for supporting the body, a chin rest on the'upper side of the float in front of the opening, and- Wave-guard in front of the chin rest, said guard being of a height to afford the user an unobstructed forward View When the chin is supported on said rest.

5. Afloat provided With an opening for the body and a curved perineal strap suspended from the under side of the float at the 6. A float havlng an opening for the body and a longitudinal slot in rear of the'opening, eye boltson the lower side of the float at the front and rear of the opening; one of said eye bolts being adjustable in said slot, and a perineal strap suspended from said eye bolts.

7. A float having an opening-for the body and provided with a longitudinally adjustable strap support on its lower side in rear of said opening, and a perineal strap secured at its forward end in front of said opening and connected at its rear end'to said adjustable support. V

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

FREDERICK WALCHER. 

